Braiding attachment for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

W. R. CLARK.

BRAIDING ATTACHMENT FDR SEWING MACHINES. No. 319,069. Patented June 2, 1885.

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XVILLIAM R. CLARK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF NEXV JERSEY.

BRAIDING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-=WIACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,069, dated June 2, 1885.

Application filed August 7, 1894. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. CLARK, acitizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of lVayne and State of illichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Braidin Attachments for Sewinghlachines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide braiding attachments for sewing-machines of such construction that flat or oval braids (or braids of unequal diameters) may be presented to the sewing mechanism beneath the fabric in such a manner that the needle will pass obliquely through the braid, or through one cor ner thereof, so that when the stitches are tightened the braid will stand up edgewise on the fabric to be ornamented thereby, thus produc ing what is known as raised braiding. By presenting the braid to the sewing mechanism beneath the fabric to be ornamented it is obvious that the pattern'to be worked or braided may be stamped on the back or wrong side of the fabric, which will be placed on the workplate of the machine face downward. Thus the operator will have a continual unobstructed view of the pattern to be followed, which is not the case where the braid is presented to the needle above the work, as in the latter case the braid and its guide partly obscure the pattern stamped on the face of the fabric, so that it is sometimes difficult to follow it. Moreover, where the braiddoes not fully cover the lines of the stamped pattern the latter will show somewhat on the finished garment. This objection is fully obviated by the use of my invention, as the pattern may be stamped on the back of the fabric so that it will not show in any event.

My invention is carried into effect by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is aplan view of a sewing-machine work or throat plate with my braid-guide and a feeddog specially adapted to co-operate therewith in position. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same on line 2 2, Fig. 1, with a presserfoot. Fig. 3 is a front view. Fig. 4. is a transverse section on line 4: 4-, Fig. 1, showing the guiding-tube in operative position; and Fig. 5, a similar view showing the tube in position for inserting the braid. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the throat-plate with the guiding-tube removed. Figs. 8 and 8 are views showing a guiding-tube provided with afriction-spring for use with fine braids. Fig. 9 is an end view, and Fig. 9 a cross-section, of a modified form of guide-tube for round braids; and Fig. 10, a bottom view of a presser'foot adapted to co-operate with mybraider.

A is a sewing-machine work or throat plate, having an opening, a, for the feed-dog B and a longitudinal recess or groove, a, open at the upper surface of the said plate, for the reception of a round guiding tube, (hwhich extends from the front of the plate rearward, terminating just in front of the needle-hole a'-,which is formed in a projection, a", extending into the feed-opening a. lhat part of the projection a which is rearward of the guidingtube is slotted down or nearly down to a level with the bottom of the tube, the bottom wall of said slot, adjacent to the needle-hole, forming a bearing for the braid, so as to sustain the same against the thrust of the needle. The braid-guiding tube 0 is preferably round in cross-section, and the groove a in the throat plate is shaped to corres po11d,so that the braidpassage 0 in said tube, which is preferably of unequal diameters in cross-section, maybe adjusted to present the braid guided thereby to the needle at any angle desired, said tube being secured in position after adjustment by a sctscrew, D, or other suitable fastening device. In the present instance I have shown the tube 0 as being enlarged a little at its outer end, its recess being shaped to correspond, so that the set-screw D,which impinges against the front end'of the tube will not force the same too far backward. The braid-passage c in the tube 0 is open at one side of the said tube, and the recess a in the throatplate being also open at the top of said plate, it is obvious that the round tube 0 may be turned to the position shown in Fig. 5, in which the open braid-passage registers with the open recess of the throat-plate, thus enabling the braid to be readily inserted in the tube, after which the latter will beileihrned to its operative position, (indicated in Fig. eh) and secured in place by flaring recess, 1).

the fastening device. To adapt the same sized guiding-passage for use with finer braids than will fill said passage, a friction-spring, 0, may be used, said spring being secured to or formed integral with a block, 0', arranged in said passage, as shown in Figs. 8 and 8. This block 0 fits in the braid-passage sufficiently tightto hold .the spring 0 in its operative position, and may be removed,together with the spring, when the latter is not required. The feed-dog B is formed with two working portions, 1), arranged on opposite sides of the projection a, into which the braid-guiding passage extends, the feed-dog thus engaging the work on both sides of the braid. Rearward of the working portions 1) the feed-dog is provided with a This construction of the feed-dog facilitates the turning of the fabric in following the patterns to be braided, and at the same time enables the braid secured edgewise to the fabric to maintain its vertical position, this operation being further assisted by recessing or grooving the presser-foot E, as at e, to relieve the pressure of said foot on the braid.

For use with round or approximately-round braids, the recess in the guiding-tube may be made in the form shown in Figs. 9 and 9, the braid guiding passage being open to facilitate theinsertion of the braid, as in the other form of the guiding-slot passage.

The operation of my device is as follows: When the braid is to be inserted in the guiding-tube, the screw D will be loosened and tube turned to the position shown in Fig. 5, so that 1 the braid may readily be placed in the tube through the open slot in the latter and the throat-plate. The tube will then be turned to the position indicated by Fig. 4, when the open slot in the tube will be closed by the lower wall of the recess or groove a in the throatplate, and the longer diameter of the braidguiding passage will be somewhat inclined relative to a vertical plane, in which thencedle reciprocates, so that the latter will pass obliquely through the braid or one corner thereof, the fabric, on the back of which the pattern has previously been stamped, being passed through the machine face downward. By virtue of this oblique or inclined presentation of the braid to the needle, the said braid,

when the stitches have been properly tightened, will assume an edgewise' position on the fabric, thus making raised braiding. If the needle should not properly catch the braid, it is obvious that the guiding-tube may be ad 2. The combination, witha braid-guide, of 1 a spring arranged in the braid-passage therei of, and aremovable block, also in said passage and serving to hold said spring in its operative position, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with an adjustable'c'ylindrical braidguiding tube and arecessed holder, as a work or throat plate in which said tube is placed, of a fastening device, as a set-screw, for holding said tube in position after adjustment, substantiallyas set forth.

4. The combination, with a work or throat plate having a recess, of an adjustable braidguiding tube placed in said recess and having an enlarged outer or front end, and a setscrew bearing against the front face of said 7 tube and serving to hold the same in position after adjustment, substantially as set forth.

' 5. The combination, with the work-plate of a sewing-machine, of a braid-guide placed be-' low the upper surface of said plate, and having guiding passages of unequal diameters,

the longer of which is inclined relative to the plane in which the needle reciprocates, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, witha sewing-machine work-plate having a braid-guiding passage, of a feed-dog having working portions extending on opposite sides of a portion of said guiding-passage, and having a rearwardly-flaring recess or groove, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the work-plate of a sewing-machine, of a braid-guide placed below the upper surface of said plate, and having a guidingpassage of unequal diameters, the longer of which is inclined relative to a vertical plane, of a feed-dog having a rearwardly-flaring groove or recess and a grooved presscr-foot, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

XVILLIAM CLARK.

Witnesses:

Jno. H. HIGINBOTHAM, \V. A. LIVEGEY. 

